Open Letter to Donors, Allies, and the Global Community
Dear Friends, Partners, and Supporters,
The trans and gender diverse community is in crisis. We are witnessing unprecedented attacks that are undoing decades of hard-fought progress. The recent changes in the political landscape and foreign aid architecture are damaging to us all. The recent executive orders from the US government and the termination of grant agreements have caused lasting damage to our movement. Organizations worldwide are losing funding, forcing them to cut life-saving services, including HIV and tuberculosis treatment, and to lay off staff.
The very infrastructure that sustains our movement is under threat. This is not just a setback; it is an orchestrated assault by the anti-gender movement, which seeks to isolate us, dismantle our progress, and erase our existence. And they are succeeding. Governments in other countries are exploiting this situation to roll back rights and fuel hate. Just as we had begun to see signs of progress, this crisis dealt us a significant blow. It has created confusion, fear, and uncertainty, threatening to fracture a nascent, developing movement that still faces significant challenges.
We will not be silenced. At GATE, we are mobilizing a response that requires you, our donors, allies, and community members, to support our efforts.
First and foremost, we need urgent emergency funds. This is not about continuing activities as usual; this is about survival. Organizations worldwide are on the verge of shutting down. Without support, they will disappear, possibly forever. We are calling for immediate funding to keep their doors open and allow the movement enough space to breathe. This can be done through pooled emergency funding mechanisms or direct donor support to affected organizations. GATE has the systems and infrastructure to facilitate this; whether by distributing small emergency grants or connecting donors with organizations in urgent need. Now is not the time for bureaucracy or profit-driven intermediation. Now is the time for solidarity.
Second, in addition to emergency relief, we recognize that our movement must build long-term sustainability. To address this critical issue, GATE is launching the Innovation Lab Initiative.
The Innovation Lab is a bold and strategic approach to reducing financial dependency and fostering economic resilience among trans and gender diverse organizations around the world. This initiative will be rolled out in 4 phases:
Phase 1: Strategic Vision
As a first step, GATE will convene a diverse and dynamic Strategic Advisory Group. Taking the role of the Brain Trust, the Advisory Group will unite key stakeholders from different sectors such as community representatives, donors and social enterprise experts. This will include: leaders of trans-led organizations with first-hand knowledge of our movement’s financial challenges and opportunities; donor agencies committed to supporting sustainable, long-term solutions for trans and gender diverse movements worldwide; and experts on social enterprises to include entrepreneurs and business leaders with experience developing innovative, community-centered economic models for sustainable movements.
This Brain Trust will identify existing and working models and design potential new models for financial sustainability. The Advisory Group will be mandated to explore what alternative income-generating strategies can be adopted by trans and gender diverse organizations; how we can leverage social enterprise, cooperatives and other economic models to enhance long-term sustainability; identify what structural and policy changes are needed to achieve sustainability within the funding ecosystem; and identify how we can shift from crisis-driven funding toward long-term investment in trans leadership.
Phase 2: Knowledge Production
GATE will develop a Social Enterprise Handbook. This will be a comprehensive resource designed to support trans-led organizations in diversifying their funding sources. The Social Enterprise Handbook will serve as a repository of best practices documenting successful sustainability models used by grassroots trans and gender diverse organizations; provide a blueprint for social enterprises that offers clear, step-by-step guidance on developing income-generating initiatives that align with the values and missions of trans and gender diverse movements; be a source of inspiration that features innovative case studies and community-driven solutions that have been successfully implemented across regions; and present a decision-making tool to help organizations assess which sustainability strategies are best suited to their specific context, capacity and organizational goals.
Phase 3: Mentorship & Tailored Support
Recognizing that each organization operates within a unique context, the third phase of the initiative will provide one-on-one mentorship and customized support. The support will be provided by entrepreneurs, members of the strategic group and pre-identified qualified consultants. The mentorship will support individual organizational assessments to understand the fiscal space, needs, strengths and gaps of each organization; provide personalized strategic recommendations tailored to each organization’s circumstances to support their transition from dependency to sustainability; guide organizations through the process of developing and implementing alternative funding models with the support of social entrepreneurship experts; and provide technical assistance for financial planning, the legal structure of enterprises and capacity-building for income generation.
Phase 4: Funding & Implementation
To implement the Innovation Lab, GATE will support the flow of resources by acting as an intermediary or connecting donors directly with groups that meet their funding priorities. To implement these plans, GATE will establish a Sustainability Funding Platform, a transparent and structured system to connect donors with trans-led organizations pursuing sustainable initiatives. GATE will develop comprehensive catalogs for organizations that include the results of their assessments, recommended initiatives and detailed required budgets. We will provide donors with targeted funding opportunities that enable direct investment in sustainability projects that align with their priorities. GATE will ensure that resources reach organizations efficiently and with minimal bureaucratic barriers. GATE, donors and our communities will benefit from new fundraising strategies that include impact investing, cooperative funding models and community-driven revenue generation.
The moment to act is now! The trans and gender diverse movement is at a turning point, and the choices we make today will determine its future. We need your solidarity, resources, and commitment to ensure that our communities do not just survive this crisis but emerge stronger.
This is an opportunity to reshape global philanthropy and funding. Join us in leading a new way path forward for trans and gender diverse organizations globally. With your support, we can create lasting change.
If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us at global-crisis@gate.ngo. We encourage you to share this open letter with your networks and any other interested parties, to ensure that we get the broadest possible participation from relevant experts.
In solidarity,
